Testimonials for Doula Services
Testimonials for Prenatal Teacher Training
Kelly is like a magician! She just knows exactly what to say and what to do during the labor process. Not only is she amazing at providing positional ideas for comfort from her expertise and many years of teaching prenatal yoga, her wit and humor help bring levity during the challenging moments. Even the littlest gestures still have a big imprint in my mind. One of them, that I share with my friends who are expecting, is an experience I had when laboring in the bath tub for pain relief. She not only had a cold wash cloth on my face and neck to balance out the heat of the tub, but also had a cup of coconut water with crushed ice to hydrate. That combination in itself was so perfect and helpful. My husband and I are so grateful to have found someone with such humility, knowledge, and pure love for what she does to help bring our daughter into the world. Writing this makes me want to do the whole experience over again, of course with Kelly by our sides!
-McKinley
​
Kelly was the perfect doula for my husband and me in more ways than one. She gave me 1000% of the support and attention I craved during the emotionally intense period before I gave birth; I was experiencing off and on contractions for 5 weeks and Kelly was the calm yin to my crazy yang. She was available any time I had a question and always had a reassuring answer. Her trust in my body made me trust my body. Labor was truly an amazing experience with Kelly at our side. She knew exactly how to support my husband so he could support me. She understood what kind of birth we wanted and gave me the confidence that I needed to focus on nothing except for my breathing, knowing that my husband was free to focus on nothing except for being with me. I can't recommend Kelly enough to anyone considering a birth doula... she truly has a gift when it comes to supporting pregnant and laboring mamas.
-Lynne
​
The first time I met Kelly is probably best compared to when Cinderella first met her Fairy Godmother. Instead of tired, weary and desperate from scrubbing floors, I was tired, weary and desperate from being six months pregnant with my third child. I'm fairly sure I caught a glimpse of her wand and certain I saw her glittering halo. For every pregnancy woe (whether physical or emotional), Kelly had a solution and/or a referral. I remember leaving her and, for the first time, breathing a sigh of relief. I knew everything was going to be okay. With my previous children, I had doulas and attributed my natural births to them. When mom is cared for and calm, births are less complicated. I knew I wanted to have the same experience with my third. Since I was an older mom, I was considered "higher risk" for complications. But with a steady schedule of prenatal yoga coupled with Kelly's vast knowledge of all things pregnancy related and a refresher of the hypnobirthing method, I pretty much had a fairytale birth-or at least the birth that I had dreamed of with a short and unmedicated labor. Kelly was with me every step of the way. The weeks leading up to my due date, she checked in with me regularly and always offered encouragement, humor and sound advice. At "go time", she met us at the hospital with a confident calm necessary for an easy birth. From honey sticks to a yoga mat to a bit of fairy dust, Kelly was prepared for anything and worked seamlessly with my midwives. I truly believe that all women can have a great birth experience, but your chances are so much greater when you have someone watching over you.
-Celia
​
I truly can't imagine what either of our two birth experiences would have been without Kelly by our side. I vividly remember the measures, actions and words of comfort and reassurance, both physical and emotional, Kelly provided to both me and my partner during the most difficult and intense moments of the lengthy and arduous delivery of our oldest child. I wouldn't have made it through critical decisions about induction, the hardest parts of transition, and certainly not the 6 hours of pushing in the way we were able to if it weren't for her. And, if Kelly hadn't literally run to our side the second time, knowing me, my pain threshold, my needs, and of course extensive knowledge of the childbirth experience, armed with a super intuition - our son would have been born in our living room or in the car (I would have wanted neither!). Leading up to both birth experiences, it was such a privilege to get to work with Kelly through yoga sessions and partner prep workshops at bend where even in group classes, she could pay special attention to aches, pains, and worries along the way. And postpartum, I feel like I could have called her at any time about anything at all (and I certainly did, and still do!) and again, help recover with her at bend. Kelly is an incredible resource, a calming and encouraging presence, and our whole family treasures her (whether some of us are old enough to realize it yet!)."
​
-Jane
I went into Kelly’s prenatal training with no idea what to expect. I came out feeling like I’d been let into a secret world I didn’t know existed (though I learned some details I could have remained blissfully ignorant without). Kelly has a way of getting to the juicy details - the ones that people aren’t openly talking about - that is so captivating and refreshing. I learned not only about the physical changes in the body during pregnancy that affect the yoga poses, but about the changes that will affect the entire woman as a whole, emotionally and physically. My biggest takeaway was that mama knows best, and prenatal yoga is about helping the mother tune into her body to listen.
-Kendra
​
Kelly's love for expectant moms, new moms, yoga, and the birth process is palpable! She is knowledgeable, approachable, and funny, and leads her training in a relaxed but focused style. As a former social worker, Kelly provides teacher trainers with tools and resources to deal with client’s potentially delicate emotions/experiences such as depression and sexual abuse.
I fell in love with prenatal yoga during my first pregnancy when I attended Kelly's Mamaste class. As a former yoga teacher, I was in awe of Kelly as the leader of the class, as she did so much more than "teach" yoga: she facilitated discussion, suggested resources, led asana, provided assists and modifications, shared funny anecdotes, and gave moms-to-be information about what to expect in labor.
Fast forward a few years and I have recently completed her prenatal yoga teacher training. In the training, Kelly shares her vast knowledge of pregnancy beyond the scope of yoga and trains teachers how to provide a safe space for expectant mamas to practice during a time of intense physical and emotional change. Kelly is a fantastic teacher, teacher-trainer, and I can't recommend her classes and training enough! I left the training feeling prepared- and very excited- to lead prenatal yoga classes thanks to Kelly's enthusiasm and expertise.
-Shannon
​
​
Kelly's Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training was incredible. The manual she has created for teachers is so thorough and helpful, and she is a truly empowering, passionate and inspirational teacher, with a deep love for and understanding of the journey of pregnancy, labor and delivery, and the postpartum experience. Her enthusiasm and knowledge really helped me feel prepared for teaching women throughout their experience of pregnancy, birthing and motherhood. I can't thank her enough for her honest and straightforward approach, and for encouraging and enabling us to follow our hearts and create and hold space for women on their journey into motherhood. I can't recommend her classes and trainings enough.
-Erin
​
Throughout my pregnancy, I looked forward to coming to Kelly’s classes, so when she offered prenatal yoga teacher training, I jumped at the chance to learn from such an empathetic, knowledgeable teacher. The training modeled how to use personal and professional wisdom, identify and honor body changes throughout pregnancy, make safe adjustments, proper sequencing, and ways to hold space while leading classes. Not only does Kelly know her stuff, but she is able to translate potentially monotonous material in a fun and lighthearted way. One minute you will be crying in a room full of women watching a birth video, the next laughing at silly pregnancy stories. Kelly’s teaching style empowers students to learn, while tapping into your own unique teaching style in order to grow as a yoga teacher.
-Caitlin
​
I had a wonderful experience in Kelly Cox's prenatal yoga teacher training. As a trainer, Kelly is engaging, energizing, and inspiring. Her experience as a doula gives her a unique and valuable understanding of pregnancy, and how best to help mothers through each stage of their journey. Kelly has so much knowledge to share, and it was a gift to be able to train with her. I truly felt like I was learning from the best. In additional to thorough, informative lessons, she made space for us to observe and participate in classes, and to practice teaching each other. She is clearly passionate about what she does and has a gift to share. I highly recommend training with Kelly in any capacity!
-Genevieve